I’ve managed to ditch one of my bad habits without really even trying! Strangely enough, I have the tooth extraction to thank for it.

I haven’t indulged in said “bad habit” since two weeks ago today. And I haven’t looked back. I haven’t had any cravings, no withdrawal symptoms – nothing. Truth be told, I never really went balls deep with this habit anyway. I was kind of a “lightweight,” if you will. Probably made it easier for me to ditch the habit than it would be other folks more committed to it. I started “dabbling” in this habit almost seven years ago, and aside from going a little nuts on camping trips, it never really managed to dig its claws into me too much. Maybe have one after a trivia game, maybe have one after having some drinks – after work, etc.

Maybe I should go out for karaoke night now that I have my singing voice back! This pic is from the mid 2000s and was taken at a bar on Cross Street in Ypsilanti (near the water tower).

What I have experienced…is improvement! No more nagging cough…I don’t get winded as easily – and most importantly of all – I got my singing voice back! I know that sounds like a really vain reason, but this “bad habit” was affecting my singing voice (I like to sing in the car… so sue me). Now I’m not coughing when I do it. I’m not having trouble getting to sleep from the hacking cough. Clearly, it was high time for me to give up this habit.

As it turns out, engaging in this “bad habit” is verboten after you’ve had certain types of dental work. Doing so can cause a really, really icky and horrible condition called “dry socket” – which is ugly, horrible, and painful.  No thank you!

I was in the habit of indulging this nasty habit after every shift at work when I got home. Now I’m attempting to replace that bad habit with a better one – taking a walk! It’s a much healthier way for me to wind down after work (and put me in a better mood)! Some days I come home so cranky after work my husband is terrified of me! Burning off some energy definitely helps improve my mood.

I know this can be a very, very tough habit for people to kick – some people never manage to do it despite their best efforts – and some people don’t want to quit at all – even if they know they should. I’m thankful that all it took for me to stop for good is…searing pain from having a tooth extracted. It was like hitting the “reset” button, if you will. Just the right distraction at the right time.

This bitch-ass cold weather does make it easier to bid adieu to this nasty habit that killed my grandfather and contributed heavily to the deaths of a couple of other family members, too. Good riddance!